The present invention relates to a device for contact-free disintegration of kidney stones or other calculi, of the kind in which means are provided to generate discharges across an underwater spark gap in the focus line of an elliptical reflector having annular or spiral surfaces, into whose focus the calculus which is to be disintegrated is located. Hereinafter, such apparatus will be referred to as "of the kind described".
Apparatus for generating hydraulic shock waves is already known in which a copper wire is stretched over an insulating bracket in the focal point line of an elliptical annular surface reflector or torus reflector and this copper wire is vapourised throughout the length of the supporting bracket upon being connected to a source of high voltage and by virtue of the gas discharge formed generated the hydraulic shock wave, for the purpose of generating a shock wave under water. The wire must be pulled over the bracket again in each case to generate the following shock waves, and this requires considerable expenditure of time by the doctor. With this apparatus therefore, it is not possible, if at all, easily to generate shock waves following each other at short intervals.
It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus for generating a plurality or series of underwater discharges at the same time in the focal point line of the reflector, without special operations being needed for this purpose.